Punjab to spend Rs.100 crore on culture preservation

Chandigarh, July 15: The Punjab government has put a Rs.100 crore culture preservation plan on fast track and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Unesco, an official said Monday.

Unesco will help the state prepare a specialised policy for preservation of heritage and culture, he said.

A spokesman of the department of cultural affairs said Punjab was the first state in the country that had chosen a professional model to preserve the cultural heritage.

He said the state was rich in tangible and intangible cultural heritage -- ranging from archaeological remains of the 5,000-year-old Indus Valley civilisation to the planning and construction of the modern city of Chandigarh.

The heritage of the state displayed rich evidence of being a thriving gateway to the subcontinent and a key stop along important trade routes, the official said.

"The state encompasses not only tangible assets of archaeology and architecture, but a rich philosophy, poetry, spirituality, crafts, artistry, music, cuisine and multi-fold traditions," he said.

He said that with professional help from Unesco, the focus in the first phase would be on preservation of monuments and museums.

IANS